


How We Heal

by RubyAndNanaAO3



Category: Castlevania (Cartoon)
Genre: F/M, Hurt/Comfort, M/M, OT3, Other, Post-Canon, Post-Season/Series 03, Recovery, Threesome - F/M/M, Trauma
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2020-03-13
Updated: 2020-03-23
Packaged: 2021-03-01 01:15:33
Rating: Mature
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 6
Words: 14,102
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/23126872
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/RubyAndNanaAO3/pseuds/RubyAndNanaAO3
Summary: On the heels of a devastating defeat, Trevor and Sypha return to Dracula's castle to find Alucard not the same as they left him. Together, the three must figure out how to heal and how to come together again.
Relationships: Alucard | Adrian Tepes | Arikado Genya/Trevor Belmont/Sypha Belnades
Comments: 56
Kudos: 355





	1. Licking the Wounds

“That’s...that’s not good,” Sypha speaks to fill the silence that hung over her and Trevor for several moments now, though her voice can hardly break the tension.

The hunter and speaker have returned to Dracula castle after the defeat they faced in Lindenfeld, the soul crushing, demoralizing, gut ripping defeat. They expected Alucard to greet them, a spark of wit for Trevor and a warm welcome for Sypha, however instead they find two bodies impaled at the gate.

They are both young and beautiful, dark hair drifting in the breeze along with the night gowns they wear, dried blood caked to their skin. Who are they? What had they done to invoke the wrath of Alucard, defender of humanity? 

“What the fucking hell,” Trevor finally speaks, stepping closer and examining the bodies more closely. “Why would he do this.” 

“They tried to kill me,” Trevor turns and there’s Alucard, not from within the castle but walking out of the woods, a basket in hand. He looks tired, shoulders handing, his long hair tangled and unbrushed. 

“Alucard,” Sypha closes the distance between the two of them, placing a hand on his arm. Alucard pulls away and the speaker swears she felt him flinch under her touch.

“What are you two doing here?” Alucard asks. “I thought you’d be half way across Wallachia by now.” 

“We were,” Sypha offers, eyes still on Alucard. “Things...things did not go as planned…” she trails off, pain leaking into her voice. 

“I’m sorry,” Alucard says softly. “Please come inside, I was just about to prepare lunch.” im

“We’re going to have to talk about this,” Trevor states bluntly, gesturing to the corpses. “Don’t think you ca—“

“I know Belmont,” Alucard snaps. “I know. But out here hardly seems like the place and you both reek and look like hell and I hardly think the time it will take me to make lunch is going to change the circumstances. So, if you please.”

Alucard gestures to the castle gate, which opens on its own with a labored grown. 

“Alright,” Trevor says, a scowl still on his face. Sypha and Trevor walk behind Alucard as they enter the still battle-scarred and trashed entry hall.” 

“Didn’t make much of an effort to clean up, then,” Trevor mutters, kicking a hunk of blood stained rubble with his boot. 

“There hardly felt a point,” Alucard says dismissively. 

“Not living in a crumbling trash heap would be the point,” Trevor barbs, fully expecting Alucard to bite back, something along the lines of Trevor feeling right at home in a trash heap. But it doesn’t come, Alucard merely shrugs as he leads the way down into the halls of the castle.

——

“I didn’t know you could cook,” Sypha notes as Alucard lazily moves around the kitchen, preparing a rabbit he had caught not long ago in the woods. 

“My mother taught me,” Alucard says quietly.

“Well, isn’t that sweet,” Trevor mocks. “Wanna explain to me what these are?” And Trevor is holding up the dolls Alucard had made. “Because this is more fucking alarming then the corpse.” 

“..... lunch is ready,” Alucard says, simply choosing not to answer as he sets two plates down before Sypha and Trevor, notably having nothing for himself. 

“Aren’t you going to eat,” Sypha asks, not touching her food, which cannot be said for Trevor, who is devouring his lunch with gusto.

“I don’t need to eat as much as humans,” Alucard assures, sitting down at the empty seat at the head of the table. Sypha still hesitates, clearly not comfortable eating while Alucard isn’t, but it’s been a long two weeks and the good smells so good, so she relents. Alucard sits quietly, letting the two finish their meal, his hands folded under his chin, elbow resting on the table. 

“So, the dead bodies out front,” Trevor sets down his fork and looks at Alucard. 

“Sumi and Taka,” Alucard says sadly, looking down at the table. “They came to me, they wanted to learn to kill vampires. I trained them, gave them access to your vault….I tried I did….but they distrusted me, believed I was hiding things from them. At night, they came to slay me. I begged them to stop, but they would not, so I had no choice.”

“Alucard...” Sypha reaches out to touch his hand but again Alucard pulls away.

“So why stick them out front?” Trevor asks, brow furrowing. 

“I don’t want to kill anyone else,” Alucard says. “I hoped it would scare others off, leave me to my isolation, as it should be.” 

“Ever heard of a sign?” Trevor asks with a snort.

“And why have you come back here?” Alucard snaps. 

“Things went wrong,” Sypha blurts out before Trevor can snap back. “In Lindtdor...it...it all went so horribly wrong. We just needed, after all of it, a place to come back too.” 

“Can you tell me what happened?” Alucard asks, his voice softening as he addresses the speaker. And Sypha tells Alucard. She tells him of Lindenfeld, the priory, of Saint-Germain and the infinite corridor, of the gates to hell and the souls burning alway and of the judge taking sick pleasure in the trap before the apple tree. Trevor sits quietly, his arms crossed over his broad chest, his face set hard and straight, trying to hide the ache of his heart. And Sypha voice trembles with every word, her hands balling into fists, tears brimming in her eyes but never quite falling. Alucard listens, his face very hard to read. 

“So we came back here,” Sypha finishes. “We failed so horribly, so many lost, we just…”

“Needed someplace safe,” Alucard finishes for her. “I’m sorry Sypha, I can’t imagine how you must be feeling now. Of course the castle is open to you. Both of you.” Alucard looks to Trevor whose expression is still unchanged.

“It won’t be long,” Trevor says simply. “Just a few days, just some time to refresh.”

“Whatever you need,” Alucard says simply. Again, Trevor is slightly concerned with the lack of jabs and bites towards him. Last time he saw Alucard the man flew him the finger in place of a wave goodbye. Now he’s being, well, downright pleasant, and Trevor finds this alarming. Certainly two humans trying to kill him couldn’t have unsettled the half-vampire bastard so much that he’s now pleasant! 

“Well,” Alucard stands up, his palms pressed into the table as he pushes himself up, shoulder hunching as he does. “Allow me to get some beds ready for you.” 

“One bed would be alright,” Sypha notes, smiling tiredly at Alucard. 

“Oh,” Alucard says, and that’s all he says before he walks out of the kitchen, the sounds of his boots tapping against the stone floor fading into the depths of the castle. 

“Have you noticed he didn’t insult me once?” Trevor asks, looking at Sypha. “Not once!” 

“Maybe he’s matured,” Sypha shrugs, admittedly grateful that Trevor and Alucard’s constant childish squabbling has not been present thus far.

“That can’t possibly be it,” Trevor mutters. “Something else is going on here.”

“Trevor, I know...I know things went horribly,” Sypha looks at him, something almost pleading in her eyes. “But Alucard is our friend and he’s never given us a reason to distrust him, so we shouldn’t.”

“He’s got dead bodies impaled on his lawn,” Trevor growls lowly. “Like father like son.” 

“If they tried to kill him, maybe he was really frightened,” Sypha pushes. “We have no reason not to trust him!” 

“No we don’t,” Trevor sighs out. “At least not for now...god, I need a goddamn drink.” Sypha lets out a sigh, same old Trevor. Rough around the edges and crash but still the same strong, supportive man she found herself falling in love with. All the horrors of the world could befall them and Sypha believes Trevor would stay Trevor and she finds that comforting. And as that thought passes her mind, Trevor wordlessly reaches out and places his hand overtop hers, his calloused thumb rubbing over the top of her hand. I,n return Sypha places her free hand on top of Trevor’s and looks into his eyes.

“So your life now,” She says softly. 

“My life can start after we leave,” Trevor says. “Lets just breath for a few days.” Sypha is about to speak when the sound of Alucard’s footsteps draws her eyes to the entry to the kitchen. Sure enough the half Vampire stands there. 

“I’ve got a room ready for you,” Alucard offers. “And I drew a bath as well… you both smell like you could use a bath.” 

“Thank you, Alucard,” Sypha says with a smile. “I very much look forward to a bath.” Alucard merely nods as the Speaker and Hunter stand from the table and follow him deeper into the castle, a heavy silence falling over all three of them, a silence Alucard has become very used to now. Still, though he won’t say it out loud, he’s happy they are here.


	2. Sleepless and Silent

His first night alone in the castle, Alucard had a dream of his father. Well. perhaps not so much a dream as a memory playing through his sleeping mind. It had been many years ago, when he was still small and his mother was still alive and before he was Alucard. Adrian had not been allowed to play outside the castle when he was young, Dracula being distrustful of humans and very protective of his one and only son. Still, Adrian was a young boy and young boys like to play and like to break their parents' rules, so one evening, a warm summer evening, he slipped from the castle and into the woods to play in the sun, just for a while. 

Time had passed and exploration of the lush and wide spreading forest was the adventure young Alucard had craved. Evening was turning to night but he hardly noticed until the voices of men broke the peaceful sounds of the forest. Suddenly, some men were upon Adrian, attacking him. He was confused and scared, too young to understand why this was happening, sheltered thus far in his life and spared the knowledge that human’s hate Vampires and creatures of the night. 

The men had cornered him and Adrian was certain he would die. Then there was blood, not his own blood, but the blood of men, staining the grass and trees crimson. Dracula stood there, towering in his black cloak, blood dripping from his hand and his fangs bared. It was the first time Adrian had seen death and the first time he truly saw his father’s power. Dracula, the man feared by the world, had leaned down and taken Adrian in his arms, wrapping his cloak around the boy and mumbling in a soft, low voice that he had been told not to leave the castle, that he had worried his mother. And Dracula took him back to castle, leaving the bodies in the woods without a second though. And when they returned Lisa was there, and she hugged Adrian tightly pleading with him to never scare her like that again, Adrian had cried too. 

When Alucard woke up, he was sitting in the chair in Dracula’s study, the fire dying and the sun gone. And from that night on, his sleep had been restless and sparse. The times he did manage to sleep, his dreams were always memories, memories of his mother and father when they were still whole and happy, before both had been turned to ash and dust that fell though Alucard’s fingers as he grasped for feeling of being with them again. 

Now, after Sumi and Taka, Alucard doesn’t sleep at all. For the first few nights he actually tried. He long since abandoned the bedroom the twins had died in, so he would lie in a new room, tossing and turning, unable to sleep so he soon gave up on trying. Now he simply walks the castle in the dark, lonely hours of the morning, sometimes wandering down to the Belmont hold and looking through the odd books and items Trevor had left him to guard. 

It's been nearly two weeks now, maybe longer even, Alucard isn’t sure. Now Trevor and Sypha have arrived at the Castle and they sleep at night, while Alucard walks alone in the dark. Sometimes he wanders past the room he lets them stay in, and he could hear the sound of their breathing as they sleep, the shift of the sheets as one of them moves about. Alucard will linger just a bit outside the door, listening, wanting to remember that for at least now he is not alone, before he moves long in his passing. 

As morning comes, Trevor and Sypha wake up and wander into the kitchen, where Alucard will have breakfast waiting for them. This morning Trevor legged a little behind Sypha and when he enters the kitchen the two are talking. 

“But really, could I raise chickens in the woods?” Alucard asks. “I would be very worried about foxes trying to eat them.”

“Where are you even getting eggs now?” Sypha asks.

“There’s a lot of geese and ducks around here,” Alucard offers. “But I feel a little bad taking their eggs, so I thought maybe I could get chickens.” 

“Vampire farmer, that's a new one,” Trevor jokes as he leaves the doorway for which he was lingering in. “Are you going to get the stupid little straw hat too?” 

“Hmmm,” Alucard grumbles out as he sets a plate in front of Trevor. 

“Are you not eating again?” Sypha asks as Alucard leans on the counter, crossing his arms over his chest. 

“I didn’t want to eat too many eggs,” Alucard says simply. “I’ll eat at lunch time.” 

“Are you sure?” Sypha asks. “Trevor could skip a meal!” 

“Like hell I could,” Trevor grumbles, stuffing a fork full of egg in his mouth. 

“Don’t be such a glutton,” Sypha rolls her eyes. “I swear, you would eat all of us out of house and home if you were allowed.” 

“I'm a growing boy,” Trevor snickers as he finishes off his eggs, setting his fork and knife down on the now empty plate. “I think I want to go down into the hold today, there are a couple of things I wanted to look for.” 

“Oh, I was actually going to start looking into Dracula’s Library, if that's alright with you Alucard,” Sypha says, finishing her own breakfast. 

“Of course,” Alucard nods. “I can take Belmont to hold, I’ll need to go out to look for supplies for lunch and dinner anyways, so it's all just as well.”

“Then we have a plan,” Sypha says cheerfully, standing up and taking her and Trevor’s plates to the sink where she starts to wash them. 

“Oh, please let me,” Alucard says coming up next to her, trying to take the plates from her hand.

“No, no,” Sypha pulls them away from Alucard. “You are doing all the cooking for us, it's the very least i can do. Besides, Speakers all help with the cooking and upkeep, it's how I’m used to living.”

“If you're sure,” Alucard frowns, stepping back and letting Sypha washes the small number of dishes in the sink.

“We might as well head out, then,” Trevor offers, standing up and walking towards the door. Alucard follows him as the two make their way through the castle, up the main hall. The door once again opens all on its own and the two men walk past the corpse’s of Sumi and Taka. Alucard does his best not to look at them, his eyes locked forward. Trevor looks, he can’t really not, and sure enough it's as miserable and shocking as the first time and the second time and every time since.

“I installed a lift in the main shaft,” Alucard says as the two walk towards the ruins of the Belmont estate. “And working lights in the hold itself, makes things simpler than ropes and torches.”

“Never saw you as the physical labor type,” Trevor jokes, walking stride in stride with Alucard. 

“Engineering was one of the many studies my father made sure I was well versed in,” Alucard states simply and Trevor once again notices the half vampire doesn’t mock him or respond to everything he says with something snide and witty. At first he welcomed Alucard’s newfound “maturity” as Sypha had called it, but now he’s finding it unsettling and a little annoying. 

As the two approach the massive hole in the ground that is the entrance to the Belmont hold; Trevor can see the lift Alucard built, and he certainly won’t say it aloud but he’s a little impressed. 

“Well, here we are,” Alucard says, opening the hatch to the lift, allowing Trevor to step on himself following suit. As Alucard pulls the lever that activates the lift his sleeve falls down his wrist and Trevor can see a searing red mark marring Alucard’s pale skin. 

“Oi, what happened there?” Trevor asks, stealing a long glance at the marks. Now he notes he can see them on Alucard’s chest too, and he wonders how he didn’t notice them before. Probably because he doesn’t make a point to stare at other men’s chests.

“When Sumi and Taka attacked me they bound me with silver cords,” Alucard says, his voice becoming quieter as the lift descends into the hold. “They don’t seem to be healing well, silver still has an effect on me...but I suppose you knew that.” 

“Suppose I did,” Trevor says, his eyes still locked on the deep red injuries. “Did they get the cords from down here?” 

“I can only imagine,” Alucard sighs. “I gave them free reign of the hold, who knows what they found. I threw the cords into the river…” The lift rumbles to a halt at the base of the massive hole. Trevor and Alucard push past the door and the half-vampire flips the switch that sends the lights flickering to life all around the layers of the hidden Library.

Trevor goes about looking for various items and books, going back and forth to the Archive at the center of the floor. Alucard sits unspeaking on the last few steps of the main stairway, his basket beside him. He watches Trevor wordlessly, moving in and out of the shelves, gathering up books and weapons, making a pile next to Alucard. The two don’t speak, Alucard just watches him. 

When Trevor isn’t speaking, just working, Alucard can’t help but think about him when he works. Brutal and effective, the way of the Belmont. There is something attractive about Trevor when he does what he was born to do. And Trevor is an attractive man, Alucard thinks, and it's something he’s thought before. Not in the way Sypha is, because her beauty is clear to everyone who lays eyes on her. Trevor’s is more subtle, something you notice the more time you spend with him. Together they make a beautiful pair. 

‘Don’t think like that,’ Alucard tells himself as Trevor is lost from his vision behind a shelf. Thinking that way about anyone is no good, thinking of how it ended last time. Alucard shudders at the thought. And of course that was a detail he left out when he told Trevor and Sypha what had happened. He can barely think about it without feeling sick, a twisting knot wrapping up his innards. The thought of saying those words out loud, to his only friends, makes Alucard’s mouth taste like venom.

They don’t need to know, Alucard tells himself. Let the shame and misery stay within him. Besides, Trevor and Sypha have been though their own nightmare, he need not burden them with his. 

“I thought you were going to be gathering food for lunch.” Alucard starts slightly as he realizes Trevor is back at the index again, back to him. 

“I will,” Alucard notes. “Soon…” Trevor turns around, frowning. 

“Listen,” Trevor steps a bit closer, standing over Alucard who is still seated. “I’m not going to pretend you and I have ever been all warm and touchy with each other but you seem… not yourself.” 

“Who do I seem like, then?” Alucard tries to joke but Trevor keeps frowning down at him. 

“You seem miserable,” Trevor states bluntly. “And you look tired. I didn’t know Vampires could look tired.” 

“Half vampires can, I suppose,” Alucard says listlessly. “I’m alright, Trevor.” 

“You could tell me if you're not,” Trevor offers. “Or Sypha...she’d honestly be the better option...but the point is you can say if you aren’t.”

“Do you say it if you aren’t?” Alucard questions. 

“I'm not okay,” Trevor says frankly. “And Sypha’s not okay, and I'm worried like hell about her. And we come back here and you’ve got people pinned up on your lawn and you just aren’t acting like you. But the point is I’ll tell you I'm not okay. So you can tell me if--”

“I’m okay, Trevor,” Alucard repeats, looking up at the gruff man. “Worry about yourself for once, worry about Sypha, but don’t worry about me, because I'm alright.” Alucard gets to his feet and picks up his basket. 

“I’m going to go get what I need for lunch and dinner,” Alucard offers. “Bring anything you want back to the castle with you.” 

“Yeah, make sure you send the lift back down so I don’t get trapped down here, would ya?” Trevor sighs. He doesn’t believe Alucard at all, but there's not much more he can do. Maybe beat the answer out of him, but Trevor highly doubts that would make Alucard feel better, though it might help himself, just a bit.

“I’ll see you back at the castle,” Alucard offers before he ascends up the stairs.

“Yeah,” Trevor says simply, turning away as Alucard goes. 

\---------

Alucard walks the empty halls as the night goes on. After his talk with Trevor in the hold he avoided the Belmont for the rest of the day, which wasn't hard given he stayed in the hold far longer then expected, even skipping lunch. Dinner would have been very quiet, if not for Sypha excitedly talking about things she had found in Dracula’s library.

But now Alucard is alone again, wandering aimlessly, trying not to think about his father and mother or Taka and Sumi or the way his heart aches so badly his chest burns in pain. Maybe this is just his fate. Soon Trevor and Sypha will be gone again and the loneliness will spill over from the night time to every moment of his life. 

With that thought, Alucard decides to make his way to Sypha and Trevor’s room, just to hear the sounds of them breathing contently, to feel close to them while he can. Walking silently down the dark halls, his bare feet not making a sound Alucard nears the room but freezes a few feet away. 

He doesn’t hear the sounds of sleep, but instead labored breaths, and moans and rocking of the bed. His face turns red as he quickly turns on his heels and hurries away until the sounds can’t be heard any longer. Still his face burns and he puts it in his hands, letting his finger’s push up through his hair as he breathes out. 

Too many thoughts fill Alucard’s head, mixing and raging together. He thinks about Sypha and Trevor together, the sounds, what it must have looked like...what if he was there too. But the moment that wishful thought passes his mind there is a sickening twist in his stomach as Sumi and Taka crash into his thoughts. The thought of being with them, the thought of them touching him, the way the silver burned, the way he begged them to stop, the way they looked as they died at the foot of his bed. 

Tears fill Alucard’s eyes as he clutches his head, he feels sick and dizzy, his mind racing out of control as he stumbles into his childhood room. He slumps down against the end of the bed, his bare feet just barely touching the burned part of the rug where his father died and he longs to also turn to ash and drift away.

He tried to be different. He tried to be good. But he’s not, or else Sumi and Taka would still be here. Maybe they should be here instead of him. Alucard wraps his arms around his knees and hides his face in them. He doesn’t deserve to be alive, let alone to think of himself in the warm embrace of his only friends. He doesn’t deserve Trevor’s concern or Sypha’s warmth and smile. 

Alucard deserves nothing but the hell around him, of this he is sure.


	3. Bicker Over Breakfast

Alucard didn’t wake exactly, because he never fell asleep; it is more that he comes out of daze he fell into sometime in the night. He stands up, and his back screams in agony, clearly having it pressed against hardwood all night did not agree with it. Sluggishly Alucard makes his way to the nearest bathroom and splashes water on his face before looking at himself in the mirror. 

He looks like shit, shit that’s been trampled over by Trevor’s unwashed boots. Two weeks with no sleep would probably be fine for a vampire, but Alucard has that pesky human half and it's starting to take its toll. Dark circles are forming under his golden eyes and they make his sharp face look gaunt and aged. Alucard’s long hair is a tangled mess as well, he tries to draw his long fingers though it but they keep catching on tangles and knots. Defeatedly he sighs out and remembers how his father looked in his last moments; he looked tired too. 

Alucard steps out of the bathroom, leaning slightly on the door frame. The castle is so quiet in the morning, the kick stone walls block out the sounds of the birds, the breeze, of anything. It’s so quiet, it’s deafening. He shakes his head and starts to walk. Just go outside, he tells himself, just get out of here for a second. But he stops. Sumi and Taka are out there. 

Suddenly, Alucard’s stomach twists and churns and he finds himself running back to the bathroom. He expels what little is in his stomach into the toilet. Retching violently, he hangs onto the toilet, his hair falling into his face like a vail. 

“Shit,” Alucard grumbles out as he tips back, landing on his ass on the stone floor. What even happened last night that got him in such a state? Certainly just hearing Trevor and Sypha having sex couldn’t have done this alone. Except it made him think of Sumi and Taka, which made him remember how alone he is, which leads him back to the place where he killed his own father. That one thing he wasn’t even supposed to hear sent him reeling and now he can’t seem to shake it. He’s spiraling and there isn’t a damn thing he can do to make it stop. 

Alucard shakes his head and starts to stand. Spiraling isn't an option. Trevor and Sypha can’t see him like this. Moreover this is exactly what he deserves anyways. No self pity and misery for the man who earned this hell. Alucard resolves to shake it off and walk out of this tiny room that now stinks of his stomach bile. Put on the act for now, when Trevor and Sypha have gone he can spiral, but not now. He sweeps his hair back with his hand and straightens his shoulders before walking out the door, slamming the door behind him. 

Entering the kitchen, Alucard starts to cook as he has been every morning. If nothing he’s learned he does very much like to cook for people, so that's something at least. He remembers something from a very long time ago. Standing in the kitchen, this kitchen, watching his father cook. That was strange of course, because his father almost never ate human food. So Alucard had asked him; why?

“For your mother, of course, she loves roast chicken, and I love her, so I make it for her. It's important to show people you love them, in the small ways.” 

Words like that from the most feared man in the world. Vlad Draula Tepes, the monster who tried to genocide the whole human race. But no matter how hard he tries to remember that fact, what his father was trying to do, what he, Trevor and Sypha had stopped, Alucard always remembers his father for the man standing in the kitchen, cooking for the woman he loved, simply because he loved it.

“Good Morning,” Alucard jumps and turns to see Sypha standing behind him, rubbing sleep from her eyes. 

“Morning,” Alucard greets. “You’re up early.” 

“Trevor was hogging the blankets,” Sypha huffs. “So I just got up.”

“I'm surprised you can sleep at all, the way he snores, I can hear it from halfway across the castle,” Alucard jokes. Sypha laughs softly. 

“Yes, but he’s also very warm,” She says. “Makes up for it at least a little.”

“Hmmm,” Alucard sets a plate with herb seasoned eggs in front of Sypha and sits across from her at the table. 

“Are you not eating again?” Sypha asks crossly. 

“I’m just skipping breakfast,” Alucard assures. “I eat lunch and dinner.” 

“Breakfast is the most important meal of the day,” Sypha retorts and she pushes her plate towards him. “Eat.” 

“I don’t need to eat as much as normal humans, I assure you I’m fine,” Alucard pushes the plate back to her. 

“I don’t think you were eating much before we came here,” Sypha states, again pushing the plate at him. “You look thin.” 

“I am just very thin,” Alucard states frankly, returning the plate to her. 

“You were not this thin before,” Sypha says, and the plate goes back to Alucard. “I remember how you looked when we left and you look far worse now! So pale and tired!”

“I’m half vampire, it's natural for me to be pale, Sypha,” Alucard protests, pushing the plate back to her. 

“What the hell are you two doing?” Sypha and Alucard look up to see a confused Trevor standing in the kitchen’s entry way. 

“Alucard refuses to eat breakfast,” Sypha throws her arms up in the air, exasperated.

“Well, you can’t force the man to eat breakfast,” Trevor chuckles. 

“Oh, yes I can,” Sypha huffs angrily as Trevor gets the remaining eggs out of the pan and puts them on a plate before sitting down next to Sypha, across from Alucard. 

“I just don’t get very hungry in the morning,” Alucard tries to assure Sypha. “I’ll eat an extra serving at lunch, plus you actually NEED three meals a day. I certainly don’t.” 

“I swear you are so stubborn and I just- ugh,” Sypha stands up with a huff and walks out of the kitchen, leaving Alucard and Trevor looking very confused. 

“What on earth was that about?” Alucard asks Trevor, bewildered.

“I think she’s just a bit worried about you,” Trevor rubs the back of his neck. “I might have mentioned I thought you were acting a bit off…” 

“So you did this, then,” Alucard grumbles. 

“Well no, she was worried before, I just gave her more reason too,” Trevor signs out, his shoulders slouching. “Which isn’t great…”

“No it's not,” Alucard affirms. “Why would you do that?” 

“Well, we’re friends, aren’t we?” Trevor states. “And you're a right bastard, but you’re our friend and I’d be a shit friend if I didn’t give a shit. And Sypha, she cares a lot, about everyone and everything and you fall somewhere in there, you know?” 

“I don’t want her to worry about me,” Alucard states frankly. 

“Well, she’s going to,” Trevor shrugs and pushes the eggs towards Alucard. “So do us both a favor and do a little to make her worry less.” Alucard lets out a defeated sigh and starts to eat the eggs quietly. The two men are silent as they eat, but Alucard puts down his fork.   
“I’m going to go make sure Sypha is okay,” He says softly. “This castle is big, easy to get lost.”

“Yeah, alright,” Trevor nods, watching Alucard go. 

\----

Sypha has made her way back to the Library, where she’s angrily putting books back on the shelves. Alucard wasn’t aware you could shelve books angrily but sure enough, it can be. Looking around Alucard sees that the day before Sypha had pulled many of the old books from the shelves, stacks of them piled up on the desk in the center of the room. Sypha is up on one of the ladders that is attached to a rolling track on the shelves, shoving books back into place. Even when angry like that, she is beautiful. Alucard thinks she is probably always beautiful, regardless of time or task. 

“Sypha,” Alucard clears his throat, certain she already knows he is here but still not wanting to startle her. “I, um, ate some of the eggs…” 

“Well that’s good,” Sypha snaps. “But I shouldn’t have to act like a mother fighting with a toddler to finish his supper just to get you to take care of yourself.” Alucard’s cheeks go a little red. 

“I hardly think I was acting like a toddler,” he protests as he steps closer, holding the sides of the ladder, looking up Sypha who will not face him. 

“You are right, infant would be more accurate,” she scoffs. “An infant that can’t take care of himself and refuses to let anyone help him.” 

“How am I not taking care of myself?” Alucard demands. Of course he knows this statement to be very true, but she couldn’t possibly know. 

“Well you clearly aren’t sleeping much, you look like a mess and your breath stank like vomit this morning,” Sypha turns on the ladder, leaning back on it and crossing her arms as she looks down at Alucard. “And you won’t talk to us….” 

“I don’t know what you want me to talk about,” Alucard frowns. “I told you about Sumi and Taka!” 

“You told us yes,” Sypha says. “In the barest way possible and I can’t help but feel you are leaving things out. And it's not just that, when before we left, you said you would make this place your tomb, Trevor told you to live for it, but… Alucard, you seem so….not here at all.” 

“It's just an adjustment,” Alucard offers, stepping back so Sypha can come down the ladder. “That's all.” 

“You are lying,” Sypha snaps, poking him in the chest, right on his scar. “I know you are!” Alucard feels his face heating up worse and he feels oddly cornered. But there’s no way he can tell the truth, between the guilt and the shame he’s certain he would rather be staked. But maybe part of the truth? Just for Sypha’s sake? He certainly doesn’t want to be the cause of any more grief in her life. 

“It's just hard to be here,” Alucard says softly. “It makes me think of my father and mother and it's just hard to be here all the time, with nothing but the thoughts.” 

Sypha's face softens as she looks up at Alucard, she reaches out to put a hand on his arm. Alucard flinches away, he doesn't mean to but he can’t bring himself to be touched by her. There is a sadness behind Sypha’s eyes, but she does not move to touch him again. 

“I know taking his life was incredibly hard for you,” Sypha offers. “And this place, I know it can’t be easy. I’m sorry we left you here alone.” 

“You have nothing to be sorry for,” Alucard assures. “The things you’ve been doing are important, Sypha.”

“Yes,” Sypha nods her head. “But we failed and now we are back here, and find you hurting. I just don’t know right now.” 

“You didn’t fail,” Alucard offers. 

“Maybe not, but it was hardly a victory,” the speaker’s shoulders slouch. “I’m sorry, I shouldn’t put this on you.”

“I want you to,” Alucard says quickly. “Please, talk to me.” Sypha seems to be considering, looking at Alucard intently. He’s certain she’s thinking he’s a hypocrite, and she’d be right, but still.

“I felt… great about what we were doing,” Sypha sighs, walking past Alucard, back to the desk where she picks up a few more books. “It made me feel so good and I was so happy and then, it all went wrong and I just…” She trails off. 

“Wish you could have done more,” Alucard finishes for her. “I understand that feeling all too well.”

“And now I’m here, talking to a man who won’t admit to me what’s wrong, like you aren’t suffering too. I’m selfish,” Sypha adds. 

“If there’s anything I’ve learned about this world, it's that many can suffer at the same time,” Alucard offers. “I want to be here for you.”   
“Thank you,” Sypha smiles at Alucard. “You are a good friend, Alucard.” The man gives a sad smile and picks up one of the books looking at it.

“I haven’t really been in here much,” he admits. “Maybe I should try reading more.” 

“Are you really that lonely here?” Sypha asks. “You… you just didn’t strike me as the type to crave company.” 

“I guess I’ve never been alone much in my life,” Alucard admits. “My father and mother were very present for most of my youth, and after my father began to travel, I visited my mother often, met her patients and after my year of sleep I was with you and Trevor…”

“I know the feeling,” Sypha offers. “Speakers always travel together. I can’t really think of a time in my life when I've been totally alone...well maybe when that cyclops turned me to stone.” She shivers a little at the thought.

“I’m sure I will adjust eventually,” Alucard lies. “It's only been a little while, compared to the span of a Dhampir’s life.”

“Yes.” Sypha doesn’t seem to totally agree, and admittedly Alucard doesn’t either, but he wants her to believe he’s alright. 

“Well… I better start looking for lunch,” Alucard says a little awkwardly. “Maybe join Trevor in the hold again.” 

“Please actually get enough for all of us,” Sypha pushes. 

“I promise I will,” Alucard says with a tired smile, and for the first time in a while, it feels at least a little genuine.


	4. Silver

The afternoon is warm and bright, a light breeze drifting through the woods, the songs of birds filling the air. Alucard and Trevor walk between the trees, light casting down on them as it flows through the branches and leaves. The two men don’t speak, at least not much. Alucard had brushed out his hair and washed his face. After his talk with Sypha, he’s at least trying to look okay. He doesn’t want his friends to worry anymore. 

“So… we’re getting fish,” Trevor suddenly speaks, causing Alucard to look back at him. 

“Yes. Sypha mentioned she’d like fish for dinner, so fish,” Alucard offers.

“But we don’t have poles or nets,” Trevor says, confused. “How are you going to get us fish?”

“I can catch them with my hands,” Alucard shrugs. 

“No, you can’t,” Trevor laughs disbelievingly. “You can’t fucking do that shit.” 

“You’ve seen me turn into a wolf, but me catching a fish with my bare hands is somehow unbelievable to you?”

“Yes, absolutely,” Trevor states as they near the river. “Fish are tricky bastards!”

“I do not understand you at all,” Alucard sighs out. The two men stand at the edge of the slowly flowing river, Alucard’s eyes scan the water as he hands his basket over to Trevor, who takes it. Alucard can see the silvery shape of fish moving under the water and he starts to roll up his sleeves. 

“How are you going to catch that? I can barely see it,” Trevor asks, leaning close to Alucard, both standing on the rocks by the riverbed. 

“I can see it fine, be quiet,” Alucard huffs as he leans over, getting ready to make his move. The half-vampire leans forward, ready to strike and takes a step forward- and that was a mistake. The rocks under Alucard’s boots shift and he starts to fall. Of course, he could have caught himself with ease if it was not for Trevor, who tried to grab the back of his shirt to catch him. There is a ripping sound followed by a splash and Alucard is now sitting soaked in the water, his shirt ripped across the back, nearly falling into his lap. 

Alucard looks up at Trevor, who is looking both apologetic and like he is trying not to laugh. Alucard lets out a defeated sigh. 

“Just laugh, Belmont. Laugh at the sad, wet vampire,” Alucard huffs out and Trevor bursts out into loud, boisterous laughter. Still, Trevor extends a hand to Alucard, which he takes and lets Trevor pull him out of the river. Alucard rips the rest of his shirt off, leaving his scarred chest bare and dripping. Now totally exposed, Trevor can see the new scars wrapped across his chest and stomach, his upper arms too.

Trevor’s laughter fades as he looks at Alucard and a thought crosses his mind. It’s a rare thought Trevor has had from time to time in his life, probably so rare because the type of man that triggers that thought is rare in and of itself. Looking at Alucard, pale, wet, his long hair dripping and clinging to his shoulders, Trevor can’t help but think he’s a very attractive man. It’s not something Trevor is ashamed to think, hell, he’s admitted those thoughts to Sypha one night in the back of the wagon when she admitted she had been attracted to a woman in the past. It's just not something he’d ever had the chance to act upon. Still, it’s Alucard, so all be damned if Trevor will ever tell him about it. 

“Well….I think we can safely say that scared the fish away,” Alucard mutters while wringing out his hair. “I’m going to move a bit up the river and look for more.” 

“Want me to come?” Trevor asks. 

“No, I’d hate to end up pantless too,” Alucard jokes half-heartedly. “There’s a berry bush just a little way in the other direction, can you get some for me?”

“No problem,” Trevor says, taking the basket in hand and walking in the opposite direction of Alucard. Trevor stays near the river bed, enjoying the sound of the water flowing. It is peaceful and calming, Trevor always liked it here growing up, before things went all to pitchforks and fire. 

Trevor’s eyes drift to the river when something shiny catches his eyes. It's jammed between two rocks near the middle of the river, whatever it is. Trever cranes his head to try and see what it is, but can’t seem to. Trying to judge the depth of the water, Trevor steps into the water and starts to wade into the river. The water comes up to nearly the top of his boots, soaking them horribly. The last Belmont starts to regret his life choices as he makes his way to the two rocks, rolling up his sleeves as he reaches into the water and blindly grasping for the shiny thing that is hopefully worth wet boots.

Belmont's fingers close around something cold and metallic. Pulling it out of the water, Trevor comes face to face with silver cuffs with a cord between them, dripping wet in his hands. His chest feels tight as the image of the burns on Alucard’s arms and chest flash in his mind. This was it, the weapon that the dead twins had used to subdue Alucard when they tried to kill him. 

And Trevor knows this device, it was one of many he’d been shown as a child down in the hold. His throat feels tight as he just stares at the thing, but something feels wrong. How did they get this on Alucard? it would be a challenge for anyone, skilled as he is. And even further; how did the cord get to his bare skin? It was made to bind, not cut, so he would have to be shirtless. Something feels very wrong and now that the weapon itself is in Trevor’s hands, he can’t overlook it. Mutely, Trevor tucks the cuffs into his tunic and wades back out of the water.

Trevor walks down the river, the weight of the cuffs present in his tunic. He doesn’t know what to think, but something is off. And maybe he should have known that already. Alucard has been acting strange since they arrived and the bodies…. Trevor grits his teeth. Talk to Sypha, don’t just jump to conclusions, talk to Sypha first. 

The Belmont finally finds the bushes he originally set out to find. Kneeling beside the bush, he silently picks the berries, still feeling the weight of the cuffs against him, his mind so stuck on it he can barely register his own repeated action. Hand up, hand down, pick a berry, put it in the basket, over and over. Mechanical, thoughtless action and Trevor repeats it until he hears the sound of footsteps behind him. 

“Why are your boots wet?” Alucard asks, standing behind Trevor, still very shirtless and holding three dead fish in his hands. 

“Got a little too close to the river and stumbled,” Trevor lies. Trevor is wholly expecting Alucard to take a jab at him, it would be an easy shot after all. 

“Bad day for us and rivers,” Alucard gives a tired smile. Trevor frowns and stands up with the basket in hand. Alucard drops the dead fish in the basket and wipes his hands on his black pants. The two start to walk back to the castle, silent for the most part before Alucard looks over at Trevor. 

“So, you and Sypha… when did that start?” Alucard asks, trying very hard to sound casual. 

“A little while after we left here,” Trevor says awkwardly. “You know how those things are.” 

“I don’t really,” Alucard gives a small laugh. “But you two seem happy, I mean with each other at least.” 

“Yeah, I think she’s good for me,” Trevor gives a smile. “Or she’s going to get me killed. One of those two for sure.”

“You seem pretty good at surviving,” Alucard chuckles. “I’m… happy for both of you. I know that’s probably an odd thing to say….you and I never really know, you know…”

“Yeah, I know,” Trevor says as they near the castle. As they draw closer the bodies of Sumi and Taka come into view. There is a tense moment as neither man speaks, both keeping their eyes straight forward and pretending they can’t see what's clearly there. Once they pass the entryway, the doors closing behind them, Alucard takes the basket from Trevor. 

“Thank you for helping me,” he smiles, still that same tired smile. “I’ll start getting dinner ready.” 

“I’ll get Sypha,” Trevor offers as he starts down the hallway, certain that Sypha is still in Dracula’s library. His footsteps echo, his wet boots striking heavy on the floor, until he reaches the Library. Sypha is stacks at the desk, stacks of books on either side of her. She doesn’t look up from the book she’s reading as Trevor stands behind her, casually trying to read over her shoulder. 

“These old sciences are fascinating,” Sypha says, finally finishing the page she is on and closing the book, leaning her head back to look up Trevor. “Did you get the fish?” 

“Alucard did,” Trevor says. “He fell in the river, too.” 

“Is he okay?” Sypha asks, standing up and pushing in her chair. 

“Oh yeah, he’s fine,” Trevor assures before he leans close to Sypha. “Tonight, I need to talk to you about something, it's important.” Sypha looks up at him confused, cocking her head to the side a little. 

“Is everything okay?” she asks, looking concerned. 

“Just… we’ll talk tonight,” Trevor assures. “Come on, Alucard is making us dinner.” Sypha nods her head and follows Trevor out of the Library.

\-------

Night falls over the castle and Alucard vanishes into his room and Tevor and Sypha do the same. Sypha sits on the bed, folding her legs under herself as Trevor closes the door and locks it, something he hadn’t done the nights before. 

“So what did you want to talk about?” Sypha asks. “You were acting strange earlier…” Trevor walks over to the bed and pulls the cuff out his tunic and sets it down on the bed.

“What’s that?” Sypha asks, picking it up, holding the rings on two of her fingers, dangling them in front of her eyes. 

“I found it in the river,” Trevor says. “Alucard told me he threw it in there and I found it by chance. He said those two… the ones out by the gate used it to attack him.”

“O-Oh,” Sypha drops the cuffs to the bed, looking alarmed. “Why did you bring them back here, then?”

“Look,” Trevor says, a note of hesitation in his voice. “How would those two have been able to get that on Alucard? He’s fast and skilled, they couldn’t have gotten the one up on him easily. And the marks from the cords, it's not just on his wrist, it's all over his chest and arms. I saw them today when his shirt was off after he fell in the river. So he must have been shirtless when they attacked him, and doesn’t that seem a little strange?”

“Well, yes, maybe a little strange,” Sypha looks at the cuffs worriedly. “Maybe they got close enough to him that he really let his guard down?”

“I don't know,” Trevor says. “He didn’t tell us much about what happened, did he? Just that he trained them and they turned on him, not a lot of detail in that story.”

“You think he’s purposely leaving out information,” Sypha states. “But why would he do that?”

“The details might make us see things differently,” Trevor rubs his chin. “Or he’s afraid we’ll look at him differently if we know the whole truth. I don’t know, there could be a lot of reasons, I'm trying not to jump to the worse conclusion. Either way, I think it's important we get the whole truth…”

“So should we just… talk to him about it,” Sypha offers. “Just ask him outright?” 

“That method hasn't really worked on him lately,” Trevor points out. “You said it yourself, he’s being completely avoidant, with me in the hold, and you yesterday. If he won’t even tell us why he seems so miserable, I doubt he’ll tell us about that.”

“Hmmm, that’s true,” Sypha sighs out. “Maybe if you sleep with him, he'll tell you.” Trevor’s face turns bright red as Sypha starts to laugh. 

“Why the hell would you say something like that?!” Trevor snaps, face as red as the berries he picked earlier. 

“I’m just playing,” Sypha laughs. “Look how red you are, Treffy. We both know he’s attractive, I just wanted to tease you a little.” 

“You tease too much,” Trevor huffs. “This is serious, you know.”

“I know,” Sypha sighs. “Things are just so tense, I’m worried about Alucard.”

“I am too,” Trevor says as he puts a hand on Sypha’s shoulder, running it down her arm and finally resting it over top her hand. “We’ll figure this out.” 

“I know,” Sypha looks down at Trevor’s large hand over her own. “I just wish everything wasn’t such a struggle. He’s being so bullheaded. If it's not you two constantly bickering, it’s Alucard completely shutting down.”

“It’s like you said, remember? He’s like an icy well,” Trevor looks at Sypha sadly. “He always had that sadness, but he used to have a fire too. He’d push back with me, pick on me. I’d never tell him, but there was even a time when he inspired me. Now it's not there anymore.”

“I can’t believe you remembered I said that,” Sypha gives a small smile. “That seemed so long ago now… but it wasn't, really.”

“Hey,” Trevor squeezes her hand. “It's going to be alright.” 

“I know,” Sypha says, her voice soft but assured. “We’ll help him. Together.”


	5. Spilling Over

It’s another sleepless night for Alucard, who’s wandering the castle. It’s nothing new, in fact by now it could be considered his new normal. Since the night he overheard Trevor and Sypha, he’s avoided their room, but tonight he found himself lingering in that wing of the castle. It wasn’t intentional at first, maybe subconscious, but not intentional. But now he walks past the door once again, and all he hears is steady breathing. 

One pace, then another, and another, Alucard walks past that door over and over. They are sleeping, certainly, so Alucard is certain he won’t hear anything that triggers him into another spiral, so maybe it's okay. Or it's insanely creepy and invasive, that is something Alucard has considered as well. Well, it's not like they know…

“Alucard,” and the voice freezes him, like a deer caught in a predator's gaze. He’s about three paces past the door and as he slowly turns, he sees Trevor standing, leaning out the doorway. Trevor, with nothing on but a blanket around his waist. Oh dear lord.

“What are you doing up?” Trevor asks. “It's late, stop creeping around the castle.” Alucard stares down at his feet, like a child in trouble, his face burning.

“I was just feeling a little restless,” Alucard says awkwardly. “And I’m hardly creeping. It is my castle, after all.”

“Still creepy,” Trevor jokes. “Being up all night, people might think you're an actual vampire.” 

“No one’s here but the three of us,” Alucard says and there is a sadness in his voice. “Anyways, sorry for waking up, I’ll--” He stops when he sees Sypha now standing behind Trevor, wearing nothing but Trevor’s tunic. 

“Alucard, are you alright?” She asks, turning her head to one side, stepping up so she is level with Trevor, leaning on his arm very casually.

“He’s just creeping around,” Trevor jokes. “You look tired though, you should try to get some sleep.”

“Have you not been sleeping much?” Sypha asks, concerned. “I think I saw something about sleep remedies in one of the books I was reading today. Let me--”

“No, no, it's fine,” Alucard says quickly. “I’m going back to bed now, sorry for waking you.” Alucard turns on his heels and walks quickly down the corridor, thank god for the darkness because his face is so red he can feel the heat coming off his face. Once he’s safely put a floor between himself and the couple, Alucard stops, breathing heavily.   
The image is so clear in his head, Trevor’s bare chest, sculpted and broad and Sypha’s long legs, all the way up to her thighs. Alucard rests his forehead on the cold stone wall and breaths out, trying to calm down. When did his attraction to those two get so strong? Certainly it was there before, but now he’s blushing like a virgin bride from just a peek at their skin. 

“God, why couldn’t it have been them?” he whispers to himself. Of course he means the night with Taka and Sumi, the first night anyone had touched him that way. Everytime he thinks about it, he feels ill. It all felt so good until it was so horrible. He felt hurt, and guilty and….violated and so, so ashamed. And now everytime he thinks about it, he wishes it would have been anyone else. 

Just imaging Trevor and Sypha instead, his trusted friends, the ones who held his shaking hands the night he killed his father. Trevor and Sypha touching him, Trevor and Sypha holding him, Trevor and Sypha staying with him after and making his loneliness go, instead of leaving him bloody and scared and so much more broken than when they found him. 

Alucard lightly bumps his forehead against the stone. Stupid, lonely fool, he doesn’t deserve them. It will never be that way. Even if it was, how could he tell them? Tell them what happened to him, fully? No, they’d be repulsed by him, surely. Alucard leans his head back and sighs out. Well, at least the self loathing and guilt had decreased the issue in his pants. 

The very tired half-vampire drags himself to his father’s study where he lights the fire and sits in the old wooden chair, resting his head in one of his hands and breathing out. Alucard has long given up on trying to sleep. He watches the fire flicker, the shapes of the fire twisting and jumping with life. 

“Does love always hurt? Alucard whispers looking soberly at the picture of his mother above the fireplace. “Am I in love? I don’t know what being in love feels like.” Alucard looks up at the picture and smiles sadly. 

“You always knew what to say to make things right again,” he goes on. “You knew what to say to stop Father from killing you when you showed up on his doorstep, banging on the gates with a knife. He loved you, he loved you so much it killed him when you died. Mother, god I wish you were here. Then I could ask you what I should do, and you’d know, you always knew. And father would smile at you, and it would be wonderful and perfect and…” 

Alucard trails off as tears start to drip down his pale cheeks. He quickly brushes them away and lets out a tired laugh. 

“What a pitiful sad sack I’ve become,” he says with a tired smile. “Can’t even sleep properly.” He looks up at the picture again as he slouches in the chair. He spends the rest of the night staring at the picture, longing deeply for things he will surely never have.

\------

“I’m still not sure this is a good idea,” Sypha looks at Trevor, who is leaning on the kitchen counter, his eyes on the doorway, waiting for Alucard to enter. On the table sits the silver cuffs, and Sypha sits in her usual chair. 

“We need to talk to him, and figure out what's wrong,” Trevor states. “We’ve tried to get him to talk gently, it's time to be direct.” 

“But maybe this is too much,” Sypha pushes. 

“He’s not sleeping,” Trevor says sharply. “The whole time we’ve been here, I don’t think he has slept. If we don’t figure out what's going on and help him, soon he’s either going to drop dead from exhaustion or go stark raving mad... well, madder.” Trevor glances at the dolls, still sitting just to the side of the counter. 

“I just don’t want him to push us further away from him,” Sypha says softly. Trevor can’t deny that there’s a possibility that this could end poorly, but something has to give. Alucard’s half-truths about his mental state and growing exhaustion are concerning to say the least, something has to give. Both Sypha and himself have tried to get Alucard to talk to them, and he’s not budging, so now it comes to this. 

The sound of footsteps coming down the hall cause both Sypha and Trevor to look up, the tension in the room tightening as Alucard crosses the threshold of the kitchen. The dhampir looks surprised to see the two human’s up before him and then his eyes fall on the small, silver device on the table. He steps back with a nervous jolt, eyes going wide. 

“W-Why the hell is that here,” he demands. “Where did you even find that?!” 

“In the river,” Trevor says, instantly feeling a little guilty by how startled Alucard seems, but still he pushes on. “Alucard, how did Sumi and Taka get this on you and how did it cut all the way to your skin?”

“I don’t know, it's your weapon, Belmont,” Alucard snaps, still standing as far from the table as he can. “You tell me!”

“Alucard, please just listen,” Sypha says, standing up and putting herself between Alucard and the table, so he can no longer see the cuffs. “We’re your friends and you aren’t being honest with us! We want to help you!” 

“I told you about Sumi and Taka,” Alucard snaps, clenching his fist and baring his fangs. “What else do you want from me?”

“The whole truth,” Trevor pushes. “Alucard, I’m trying to assume the worst here, but I need you to tell me everything, not just the rushed version that shuts me up.” 

“I killed them,” Alucard exclaims. “They trusted me and I killed them! I tried to be different. I tried to protect them and it all fell apart.” 

“You said it was in self-defense,” Sypha pushes, stepping a little closer to Alucard. “You trusted them? Alucard, please just tell us what really happened.” 

Alucard’s eyes dart around, like a cornered animal, his breath becoming ragged and heavy. Trevor and Sypha are staring at him, looking worried. God, he wishes they would just stop looking at him. Alucard wants to sink into the floor, to turn into ash and just vanish so they never look at him again.

“I-I can’t,” Alucard shakes his head. 

“Please, Alucard,” Sypha reaches out to touch Alucad’s hand but he jerks away, stumbling back until he pushes up against the stove, as far away from her as he can get. 

“You have to tell us what really happened,” Trevor pushes, stepping away from the counter and standing next to Sypha. 

“No,” Alucard shakes his head again. “I-I can’t. It's disgusting… it’s…”

“Alucard,” Trevor says firmly. “Please, I don’t want a reason to doubt you.”

“You don’t understand,” Alucard says, his voice shaking.

“We’re trying to,” Trevor exclaims. “But you have to tell us!” 

Alucard’s heart is hammering in his chest, his eyes beginning to water. He doesn’t want to cry in front of them, he wants to run. The way Trevor and Sypha are looking at him is like a stake in his chest. 

“Please,” Alucard’s voice trembles. “Please, I don’t want to do this…”

“You have to,” Trevor pushes. “You can’t push it off anymore, Alucard, you have to tell us!” 

“THEY SLEPT WITH ME,” Alucard screams, his voice raising and cracking. Sypha and Trevor look confused as Alucard’s head drops to his chest and he presses a hand against his eyes.

“They came into my room and they...I don’t even know anymore,” Alucard goes on the tears he’s been holding back, finally spilling over. “I felt so empty and alone, this place is so hollow and when they came here, I was so happy. I wanted to be with them, I wanted to feel close to them and it was all a lie. They slept with me to get my guard down so they could attack me and I killed them.” 

He lets out a sob, refusing to look up. He doesn’t want to see how they look at them now, the diguest that must be present in their eyes. It's all over now. They’ll hate him for sure. It's never going to be the same and--Alucard gasps when he feels two pairs of arms wrap around him. His head snaps up as he feels Trevor and Sypha embracing him at the same time, engulfing him in a warmth unlike anything he has ever felt before. 

“I- what?” Alucard blinks the tears out of his eyes, confusion echoing his voice. “Aren’t you… disgusted with me?”

“Why the hell would we be?” Trevor asks, running his calloused palm over Alucard’s back, the warmth soaking through his white shirt. 

“Because I--,” Alucard can’t seem to find the words he merely shakes his head, which rubs against Sypha and Trevor’s shoulders. 

“You were taken advantage of,” Spyha states, a clear anger in her voice. “It's not your fault.” Tears sting Alucard’s eyes as the words hit him like a wave. How long had he wanted to hear that? That it wasn't his fault? That this wasn't some malicious thing he had caused or brought on himself. 

“I’m so tired,” Alucard whispers out with a broken laugh, his face still hidden in his friend’s shoulders. 

“When was the last time you slept?” Sypha asks softly, running her fingers though Alucard’s long blond hair. 

“It's been almost a month now,” Alucard says, exhausting he’s been pushing off seeping into his voice. His legs feel wobbly and his whole body feels like it weighs a ton; Alucard leans a little heavy on Trevor and Sypha.

“Come on,” Trevor pulls away carefully, wrapping a single arm around Alucard’s shoulder and guiding him out of the kitchen. “You need to sleep. Where is your room?”

“I don’t really have one anymore,” Alucard says, flushing a little. “I’ve just been wandering around the castle every night.” 

“Okay, come with us,” Sypha reaches out and takes Alucard’s hand and for the first time since they arrived Alucard allows her to touch his hand without flinching. Trevor and Sypha lead Alucard down the halls of the castle, to the room that they have been sleeping in. Alucard looks confused as Trevor reaches out and opens the door.

“What are you--,” Alucard looks at them confused. 

“Just shut up and get on the bed,” Trevor gives Alucard a small, playful push into the room. Alucard mutely gets onto the bed, sitting in the middle of it, as Trevor and Sypha sit on either side of him. Alucard looks back and forth between them as he slowly sinks down into the pillows and blankets. Sypha shifts herself so Alucard’s head rests on her thighs as she strokes his hair. Trevor props himself up on one elbow, and pulls the blankets up over Alucard’s chest. 

“I’m scared to sleep,” Alucard says tiredly, leaning heavily on Sypha’s thighs. “Bad dreams….” 

“It’ll be okay, “ Sypha sooths. “We’re here.” 

“Yeah,” Trevor nods, resting his hand on Alucard’s chest. “Just sleep.” 

Alucard closes his eyes and his breath slowly evens out as his body begins to unclench and relaxes. He can feel the pressure of Trevor’s hand on his chest and the feeling of Sypha’s fingers running through his hair. 

“I love you both,” Alucard mumbles softly, as he drifts off to sleep.


	6. Ours

“Are you sure he’s not dead?” Trevor asks, looking down at Alucard, who has beens asleep for the better part of a day. Aluard is laying on his side, curled up like a child, as he breathes evenly and calmly. Trevor frowns as he lightly pokes Alucard on his cheek. Sypha slaps Trevor’s hand.

“He’s just very tired, let him sleep,” she scowls. “And he’s clearly breathing! He’s not dead.”

“I was just checking.” Trevor grumbles, rubbing the back of his hand. Trevor shifts a little, sitting up fully so his back is resting against the headboard. The two have stayed in the room the whole time Alucard has been asleep, except for the quick moments Trevor had left to get Sypha and himself something to eat.

“Trevor,” Sypha says, biting her lip. “I don’t think we should leave him here. I think when we go, we should convince him to come with us.” 

“What about the castle and the hold?” Trevor asks. “I highly doubt he would want to leave them unprotected.”

“Certainly I can find a sealing spell or something,” Sypha says almost dismissively. “I think it's bad for him to be here alone. How would you feel if you just lived in the ruins of your family home, where your loved ones died?” 

“Shitty,” Trevor admits. “I just don’t think he’ll actually come with us, even if we want him to.” 

“Then we convince him,” Sypha says stubbornly. “If he stays here, alone, it might actually be the death of him.”

“He… he said he loved us,” Trevor says suddenly, looking at Sypha. “Did you notice? What do you think he meant by that?”

“I think we both know what he meant,” Sypha says, she looks down at Alucard, still sleeping peacefully. “What do you think about that?” 

“I mean,” Trevor rubs the back of his neck. “I don’t think there’s any denying we all care about each other…” He trails off, and takes a breath. 

“The whole time we’ve been here, I've been worried sick about him. Hell, I missed him being a shithead to me,” Trevor says thoughtfully. “I never realized I care so much about it or that I missed him…”

“I've felt the same way,” Sypha says. “I worry about him the same way I worry about you and when he’s happy, I feel happy with him. I think…”

“Yeah, me too,” Trevor doesn’t need to hear the word she never said, he simply knows. “Shit, I'm not good at this emotional stuff. Between you and him, it's gonna be the death of me. Demons and vampires won’t be the end of the Belmont line, it’ll be a cocky speaker and an emotional wreck of a vampire.”

“I think you’re getting better at it,” Sypha smiles at him. “Of course I give full credit to myself.” Trevor lets out a snort of a laugh as he puts his head in his hand. 

“This is a mess,” Trevor laughs. “We’re all a mess, aren’t we?” 

“Maybe a little,” Sypha laughs, stretching her arm above her head. “Maybe I like a little mess though...I like both of you, quite a lot.” 

“Hmmm same,” Trevor says, folding his arms behind his head and stretching his legs out more comfortably. “So, we drag Alucard with us, whether he likes it or not then?” 

“Oh, absolutely,” Sypha laughs. “If he ever wakes up.” 

\------

Alucard doesn’t remember what he was dreaming of, but for the first time in a very long time, it was pleasant. As he slowly opens his eyes and comes back to his senses, Alucard realizes he feels very warm and comfortable. 

“Oh my god, you are finally awake,” Alucard blinks tiredly and turns his head to see Trevor sitting on the side of the bed next to him. He turns his head to the other side and sees Sypha looking eagerly at him. 

“How… long was I asleep?” Alucard asks as he sits up, sweeping his hand through his hair, pushing it away from his face. 

“About a day and half,” Sypha says, sitting up more fully. “How do you feel?”

“Better,” Alucard says, honestly. “Did… did you two stay here the whole time?”

“Yeah, so ya better say thank you,” Trevor jokes as he stretches with a big yawn. Sypha laughs and wraps both her arms around Alucard’s shoulders from behind, leaning on him. Alucard flushes, looking confused at her actions. Trevor gives a crooked grin at the flustered half vampire. 

“What are you--,” Alucard doesn’t get to finish his sentence before Trevor leans forward and kisses him. Alucard’s eyes go wide as he lets out a small noise of confusion. Trevor pulls back, looking just a little smug when he sees Alucard’s face. 

“Alucard,” Sypha says, arms still around him, kissing his cheek. “We love you, and we want to be with you. Do you want that too?”

“You can say no,” Trevor quickly adds. “We don’t want to put you in a position you don’t want to be in.” 

“I-I of course I do,” Alucard says, still sounding confused. “I just don’t understand where this is all coming from.”

“Let’s just say worrying about you constantly has put a lot of things into perspective,” Trevor grins as he puts a hand on Alucard’s chest sliding up his neck till it rests on his cheek. “You make terrible choices when you're left alone. I thought you were supposed to be smart.” 

“I don’t like being alone,” Alucard says frankly. 

“Then you won’t be,” Sypha sooth, kissing his neck, moving up and playfully biting his pointy ears. Alucard lets out a small moan as she turns his head to the side so she can kiss him. Trevor starts pulling off his own shirt, throwing it carelessly to the floor.

“Lift your arms,” Trevor says as he starts pulling up Alucard’s shirt, revealing his scared chest. The half vampire’s shirt shortly joins Trevor’s on the floor. Trevor runs his hand over Alucard’s chest, tracing over his scars before resting on his collar bones, stroking it with his thumb. Sypha slides her hands down Alucard’s sides, down to his hips and starts to undo his pants. 

“I feel like I’m dreaming,” Alucard mutters, his eyes half lidded. 

“I mean, I can pinch you if you wanna check,” Trevor jokes, undoing his own pants before helping Sypha pull off Alucard’s, revealing that he is very erect. Sypha pulls away from Alucard, standing beside the bed for a moment as she undresses, letting her robes drop to the ground before she places a hand on Alucard’s chest and pushes him down onto the bed. Trevor and Sypha lie on either side of him. 

Trevor turns Alucard’s head to the side and kisses him, sliding his tongue into his mouth. When the kiss breaks, Sypha mimics Trevor’s motion, turning Alucard’s head before kissing him deeply, except when she breaks the kiss, she starts kissing down his neck and chest, slowly moving down his body until she reaches his hips and his member. Sypha’s hand wraps around Alucard’s member, making him moan as she gently strokes it.

Trevor moves down the bed as well, setting himself between Alucard’s legs, carefully spreading them to give himself room. 

“Sypha, where did we put the oils?” Trevor asks, looking around. 

“Nightstand, Treffy,” Sypha says, still slowly stroking Alucard, who is laid back against the bed, trying to keep himself under control. This is everything he’s wanted for so long, and now it's actually happening, and his mind can barely process it at all. 

Trevor hurries over to the nightstand and grabs a bottle of oil hidden away in the nightstand drawer, before settling back between Alucard’s legs. 

“Did you bring that with you?” Alucard asks, lifting his head a little to see Trevor. 

“We’ve been busy on the road, it comes in handy,” Sypha laughs a little. Trevor rolls his eyes as he dips his index and pointer finger into the bottle, coating them in the slick oil. 

“So uhhh I've never done this before,” Trevor says awkwardly, looking at Alucard. “So tell me if I’m hurting you at all, alright?”

“I will,” Alucard nods. Sypha’s hand continues to play with Alucard’s shaft. A smile on her lips as Trevor carefully starts to press his pointer finger against the thinner man’s tight hole, the sight of the two men experimenting highly pleasant. Alcuard lets out a small whine as Trevor’s finger slides in, slowly, carefully. Trevor watches Alucard’s face, making sure he’s not in pain before he slowly starts to move his finger in and out. 

“A-Ah,” Alucard gasps out as Trevor speeds up. 

“You alright?” Sypha asks, stopping her motion, to look at Alucard. 

“Y-yes, I’m alright,” Alucard assures as Trevor starts to push in his second finger. As Trevor flexes his fingers, spreading Alucard out, coating his hole with the oil. 

Alucard’s face is red as Trevor’s fingers easily glide in and out of his hole. Trevor realizing this says “I think he’s ready.” as he takes out his fingers and coats his own turgid cock with the same oil he used on Alucard. Sypha nodding stops and straddles Alucard’s hips, her aroused sex so close to the cock she wants to feel in her. Smiling, she looks at Alucard’s under her. “Are you ready for this?” And as he nods she guides his cock in her, both moaning as she eases herself to the base of the hard warm shaft

Trevor smiles at the sight before him, Sypha’s and Alucard’s asses. Putting his hands on Alucard’s hips, he places a kiss between Sypha’s shoulder blade. “It’s all amazing.” Trevor says as he slides in. Alucard, mewling desperately as he does.

“He makes cute noises,” Sypha says as she starts to rock her hips, lifting up and down, as she starts to ride Alucard’s member. 

“Yeah he does,” Trevor smirks as he pushes further in, until he’s hilted inside Alucard. “I’m never going to let him live it down.” 

“Oh, shut up,” Alucard mutters between moans. “I’m not the one whose family had a whole spell box about penises.” 

“There’s my Alucard,” Trevor smirks as he pulls out thrust in with a fair bit of force, though not so much that it’s painful. “I was wondering where you’d been.”

“Oh, I’m yours now,” Alucard asks. As Trevor thrust in and out of him. 

“You’re ours,” Sypha corrects, rocking her hips, her hand resting on Alucard’s chest as she looks down at him lovingly. “Treffy is going to have to share.” 

“What the hell am I doing now?” Trevor asks. 

Sypha laughs, and starts to lift up fully before pushing back down fully. Alucard’s hips buck up as he moans. Trevor smirks and lifts Alucard’s legs and starts thrusting more deeply, rolling his hips, hitting deep with every stroke. Sypha and Trevor start to fall into rhythm, Sypha bouncing up and down on Alucard’s hips and Trevor pushing in and out of him.

“Fuck, I’m close,” Trevor mutters.

“Me too,” Sypha huffs out. “Alucard, are you--”

“Y-Yes,” Alucard gasps out, his head falling back. “So close, please don’t stop.” 

“Of course not,” Trevor nods as he hits deeply in unison, with Sypha coming down on Alucard’s member. Alucard’s hips start to tremble as he cries out as he climaxes, gasping and moaning. Sypha and Trevor smile as they follow suit shortly after, the air of the room filled with the sounds of their moans and grunts. Soon, there is only heavy breathing as Trevor and Sypha fall to the bed on either side of Alucard, both turning to the side, and wrapping their arms around Alucard. All three lay in a sticky, sweaty, mess, smiles across their faces. 

“I don’t think I’m going to be able to walk for a while,” Alucard jokes. 

“No need to,” Trevor says. “We can all just stay in bed for a couple of years… or forever.” 

“Boys are so lazy,” Sypha huffs. Alucard laughs softly and settles down more comfortably in the bed, breathing out. He feels warm all over, like he is laying out in the sun, he never wants this feeling to go away. 

\-------  
“Leave with you,” Alucard asks, looking at Sypha and Trevor as they sit in the kitchen. “But what about the castle and the hold?” 

“I thought about that,” Sypha offers, as Trevor sets down a pot of Rabbit stew in the center of the table. “Between the castle and hold, there’s got to be some kind of sealing spell that I can cast on them, so they can be safe even without you here.” 

“But there are surely other magicians that could break that type of spell,” Alucard pushes. “Remember how easily those monsters broke through the Belmont magical door of death?”

“It wasn't a magical death door, dammit,” Trevor says, laddling some soup into the soup into the bowl sitting before Alucard. “I liked you better when you were depressed.” 

“That's not what you said last night,” Alucard smirks at him. 

“Are you two really going to start this shit again?” Sypha growns. 

“Yes,” Trevor and Alucard say in unison. Alucard picks up his spoon and starts to eat, his eyes lighting up when he realizes Trevor, can in fact cook rather well. Suddenly the memory of his father standing in the kitchen making roast chicken fills his mind, and he smiles. 

“Look, we know it's not ideal,” Trevor says, sitting down at the table. “But you shouldn’t have to stay here alone… you should be with us.” 

“Yes,” Sypha pushes. “And it's not like we can’t come back and check up on the hold and the castle, make them our base of operations, for when everything goes horribly wrong and we need a break.” 

“Are we going off the assumption things will go horribly wrong?” Alucard raises his eyebrow. 

“Yes,” This time, it’s Trevor and Sypha talking in unison. Alucard lets out a sign and sets his spoon down on the table and starts to drum his fingers on the table. 

“I want to, obviously,” Alucard says. “I just don’t know if I abandon this place and just hope everything goes well. It's my responsibility.”

“Maybe it's not,” Trevor says. “Maybe your father's life doesn’t have to be your burden forever, maybe you can just fucking live for once.” 

“Just live,” Alucard repeats. “That does sound nice.” 

“Then you’ll come with us,” Sypha asks hopefully. 

“Yes, I will,” Alucard says. “If we can find a sealing spell and… I want to give Taka and Sumi a proper burial before we leave… it only feels right.”

“Of course,” Sypha says. “First thing tomorrow, we search for spells.” 

And for the next few days, the three go back and forth between the castle and the hold. It feels almost blissful, Alucard and Trevor jabbing at each other constantly, while Alucard and Sypha work together to find some kind of the spell that will protect the hold and the castle at least a little. Alucard feels like his soul has been gone from his body for months, walking around like a hollow, empty husk and now someone, two someones, have put it back into him and he’s filled with warmth and joy. For the first time since his mother's death, Alucard feels whole again.

When it came to the business of burying Sumi and Taka, it was difficult and unpleasant, and not just because dealing with dead bodies that have been setting out for nearly a month is an unpleasant thing to do. Despite all the agony they caused him, Alucard still feels remorse, and tears were still shed for them. The trio buried them near the hold, pushing two large stones over the graves, craving their names into them. 

“I truly did want to help you,” Alucard says as he stands before the headstones, Sypha and Trevor on either side of him, Trevor’s hand on his shoulder and Sypha’s hand lacing fingers with his. “I’m sorry for how it all turned out. I’m so sorry.” And they stand in silence for a while longer, close together. 

\-------

“Well, I think that will hold,” Sypha says standing in front of the castle, the same way she did with the door of the hold not long before. “Certainly will keep most people out.” 

“We expect nothing less from the woman who captured and broke Dracula’s castle,” Trevor smiles widely at her. 

“I did not break it!” Sypha protests heatedly, crossing her arms over her chest.

“You absolutely did,” Alucard smirks as he comes back from loading the last of their things onto the wagon. “But it's for the better honestly. Better off in one place, gathering dust, finally in a home.” There is a hint of sadness in his voice, but it’s far from the exhausted, miserable tone he greeted Trevor and Sypha with the day they first returned. 

“You’ll see it again,” Sypha says, as if she read Alucard’s mind. “It's our base of operations, after all! Belnades, Belmont and Tepes!” 

“How come I got the last billing?” Alucard fake pouts at Sypha. 

“Just be glad it's not Belnades and her manservants,” Trevor scoffs. 

“Oh yes, I like that one better,” Sypha explains happily. “Belnades and her manservants!” Trevor and Alucard both groan loudly. Sypha and Trevor both load onto the front of the wagon and Alucard sits in the back, leaning against the side. As Trevor pushes the horses forward Alucard looks back at the castle, slowly moving away from him, bathed in the morning sunlight. His prison for the last two months and now he’s finally free. A smile comes across his face, as he turns and looks up at Trevor and Sypha, laughing and pushing each other's shoulders together.

Alucard doesn’t know what the future holds. He’s certain there are more hardships to come, but for the first time in a very long time, he’s sure he won’t face them alone.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Well thats the end. I hope you all enjoyed an M/M/F sex scene written by a lesbian lol. I may write a few shorts based around this fic, most likely set after they leave the castle and are traveling, but nothing for certain as of now. 
> 
> Thanks to everyone who read and left comments and Kudos, the feedback has been very uplifting 
> 
> -Nana

**Author's Note:**

> I've come to really love this OT3 so I decided to try my hand a big ol hurt/comfort fic after the heart break that was the end of season 3
> 
> -Nana


End file.
